1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an antifungal product (AFP) produced by Pediococcus species. In particular, the present invention relates to a method for producing the antifungal product (AFP) and to its use in preventing fungal (yeast and mold) growth in foods and other materials.
2. Prior Art
Antimicrobial compounds produced by lactic acid bacteria have been previously described (Abdel-Bar, N., N. D. Harris, and R. L. Rill., J. Food Sci. 52: 411-415 (1987); Angelo, J. A., Shahani, K. M., and A. D. Angelo, J. Dairy Sci. 63: 52 (1980); and Branen, A. L., Go, H. C., and R. P. Genske, J. Food Sci. 40: 446-450 (1975)). The compounds produced are usually bacteriocins, hydrogen peroxide and lactic acid (Raccach, M., CRC Crit. Rev. Microbiol. 14: 291-309 (1987); and Dahiya, R. S., and M. L. Speck, J. Dairy Sci. 51: 1568-1571 (1968)). The pediococci are considered lactic acid bacteria and produce lactic acid (Mundt, J. O., W. G. Beattie, and F. R. Wieland, J. Bacteriol. 98: 938-942 (1969)).
No antifungal products have been described as being produced by the pediococci. Previously antifungal products have been described as being produced by the soil Actinomycetes (Yamaguchi, H., K. Uchida, T. Hiratani, T. Hara, H. Fukuyasu, Y. Kazaro and S. Inouye, Antimicrob. Agents. Chemother, 30: 705-712 (1986)) and pseudomonads have previously been shown to indirectly inhibit fungal growth through siderophore production (Vandenbergh, P. A., C. F. Gonzalez, A. M. Wright, and B. S. Kunka, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 42: 128-132 (1983)). These microorganisms are unrelated to pediococci.
In applications Ser. Nos. 794,468, filed Nov. 4, 1985 and 082,118, filed Aug. 6, 1987, which are assigned to a common assignee, antifungal products (FIC) from Lactobacillus sp. are described. These products (FIC) are mixtures which are chemically quite different from the products of the present invention.
OBJECTS
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a novel Pediococcus species derived metabolic product which inhibits fungi (yeast and mold) and which are referred to herein as "AFP" or "antifungal product". Further it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for producing the antifungal product as well as a method for using the product in foods and other materials. These and other objects will become increasingly apparent by reference to the following description and the drawings.